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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mine — for digging
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. board — to get on
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. board — a committee
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fall — the season
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bay — to keep at bay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com